1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retaining mechanism for a multi-section slide track assembly. Particularly, the present invention relates to the retaining mechanism for use in a three-section slide track assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to the retaining mechanism for limiting a return movement of an intermediate slide track with respect to an outer slide track in drawing-out operation, and for automatically disengaging the intermediate slide track from the outer slide track in retracting operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, many drawers or load-carrying components are often equipped with multi-section slide track assemblies which are usually mounted in a computer cabinet or a rack. Accordingly, the drawers or the load-carrying components can be slidably drawn out or retracted into the computer cabinet or rack. There are two major categories of the multi-section slide track assemblies. A first category includes a two-section slide track assembly that has a basic structure consisting of an inner slide track and an outer slide track. On the other hand, a second category includes a three-section slide track assembly that has a basic structure consisting of an inner slide track, an intermediate slide track and an outer slide track. In use, there is a need for disassembling the inner slide track from the outer slide track for factory workers or do-it-yourself users for example. The conventional multi-section slide track assembly is usually designed to provide with a common function of removing the inner slide track from the other slide tracks.
With regard to the second category, firstly, the three-section slide track assembly involves the significant problem of smoothly sliding movement (i.e. telescopic movement) among the inner slide track, the intermediate slide track and the outer slide track. Secondly, the three-section slide track assembly involves the significant problem of ease of assembling, disassembling and reassembling the inner slide track, the intermediate slide track and the outer slide track. Thirdly, the three-section slide track assembly involves the significant problem of positioning and retaining among the inner slide track, the intermediate slide track and the outer slide track.
Other commonly assigned U.S. patents and pending U.S. patent applications disclose the three-section slide track assembly. For example, related U.S. patents include U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,768, entitled “EXTENSIBLE CHASSIS SLIDE,” U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,299, entitled “SLIDING SUPPORT WITH ADJUSTABLE SHOCK BLOCK,” U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,968, entitled “EXTENSION SLIDE,” U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,778, entitled “CABINET DRAWER SLIDE ASSEMBLY,” U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,578, entitled “QUICK DISCONNECT SLIDE STRUCTURE,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,212, entitled “THREE PART BALL BEARING SLIDE WITH LOCKABLE INTERMEDIATE SLIDE MEMBER,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,828, entitled “OVER AND UNDER TELESCOPE SLIDE ASSEMBLY,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,490, entitled “TELESCOPING SLIDE ASSEMBLY,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,197, entitled “RELEASABLE LATCH FOR A TELESCOPING SLIDE ASSEMBLY,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,775, entitled “TELESCOPIC DRAWER SLIDE WITH MECHANICAL SEQUENCING LATCH,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,109, entitled “TELESCOPIC DRAWER SLIDE WITH SOFT SEQUENCING LATCH,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,265, entitled “TWO-WAY SLIDE,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,338, entitled “TELESCOPIC RAIL HAVING CONTROLLABLE POSITIONING,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,001, entitled “SLIDING TRACK ASSEMBLY FOR DRAWER,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,574, entitled “FULLY EXTENDIBLE DRAWER UNIT AND COUPLING,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,335, entitled “REAR-SECTION BOLT LOCK STRUCTURE OF A SLIDE,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,763, entitled “CONTROLLER FOR A QUICK DISCONNECT SLIDE ASSEMBLY,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,412, entitled “EXPANDABLE SLIDE AND RAIL ASSEMBLY FOR A RACK AND METHOD OF INSTALLING SAME,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,689, entitled “TRACK DEVICE ALLOWING SEQUENTIAL INWARD MOVEMENT,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,276, entitled “SEQUENCING MECHANISM FOR SLIDE ASSEMBLY,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,418, entitled “FRICTION DRAWER SLIDE,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,408, entitled “TRACK DEVICE FOR A DRAWER.” Particularly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,585,335, 6,705,689, and 6,899,408 are owned by the present assignee. Each of these U.S. patents is incorporated herein by reference for purposes including, but not limited to, indicating the background of the present invention and illustrating the state of the art.
For example, related U.S. patent application publications include Pub. No. US 2003/0052580, entitled “SNAP-ON SLIDE AND RAIL ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING SAME,” Pub. No. US 2003/0111942, entitled “FRONT RELEASE FOR A SLIDE ASSEMBLY,” Pub. No. US 2004/0174103, entitled “UNDETACHABLE DRAWER RAIL,” Pub. No. US 2004/0239220, entitled “LOW PROFILE LOCK WITH FRONT RELEASE FOR A DRAWER SLIDE,” Pub. No. US 2005/0116594, entitled “SLIDE RAIL HAVING FRONT RELEASE LATCH,” and Pub. No. US 2005/0180667, entitled “POSITIONING DEVICE FOR A MULTI-SECTION SLIDE TRACK ASSEMBLY OF DRAWERS.” Particularly, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0180667 is owned by the present assignee. Each of these U.S. patent publications is incorporated herein by reference for purposes including, but not limited to, indicating the background of the present invention and illustrating the state of the art.
A conventional retaining mechanism, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,408 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0180667, describes a stop structure integrally formed on one of slide tracks of the multi-section slide track assembly. In general, the multi-section slide track assembly is made from a relatively soft metal material which cannot withstand unusual impact of components of a retaining mechanism against on the multi-section slide track assembly in use. Because of this, there is a need for a heat treatment on the multi-section slide track assembly for extra strength and rigidity of the stop structure. Inevitably, a number of limitations exist for the multi-section slide track assembly due to (1) difficulties in heat treating the entire assembly; (2) increasing total manufacture cost (i.e. production cost) for heat treating operation; and (3) causing distortion of components of the multi-section slide track assembly in heat treating operation or cooling operation.
With regard to the problematic aspects naturally occurring during use of the soft metal material of the stop structure, the multi-section slide track assembly is susceptible to a number of problems, including: (1) a low possibility of intensifying the strength and rigidity of the stop structure; (2) a high possibility of occurring component abrasion of the stop structure or causing the retaining mechanism scraping against the multi-section slide track assembly; and (3) loss in the retaining function of the stop structure due to component impact during prolonged use.
The present invention intends to provide a retaining mechanism for a multi-section slide track assembly, wherein the retaining mechanism includes a stop actuating assembly and a resilient retainer assembly. The stop actuating assembly is provided on an intermediate slide track of the multi-section slide track assembly while the resilient retainer assembly is provided on an outer slide track of the multi-section slide track assembly. To retain a return movement of the intermediate slide track, the stop actuating assembly is directly engaged with the resilient retainer assembly to provide a high-degree effective operation of retaining reliability in such a way as to mitigate and overcome the above problem.